Prof. Salima Hashmi
Dean (SVA)

•  MA Art Education, Rhode Island School of Design , USA
•  Diploma Art Education, Bath Academy of Art , Bristol University , U.K.
•  Former Principal National College of Arts
•  Visual Artist, Critic, Curator

The School of Visual Arts at BNU has completed five years of its existence. This is a good opportunity to take stock of what we have achieved in this very brief period. Our current enrolment figure of three hundred students demonstrates that over five years we have gained momentum and established a credible reputation in the academic community.

SVA provides for a rich variety of art practice and theory. We have taken the lead in implementing an interdisciplinary approach to education in a liberal arts environment. Our modern curriculum empowers students to think for themselves. It equips them with the ability to apply skills and knowledge critically and innovatively. In the friendly environment of SVA, students are treated as individuals with needs.

It is the School's underlying belief that an art education should make great demands upon all those engaged in it - the students and the faculty. The faculty regularly participates in both local and international exhibitions and residencies. Our lecturers are not only dedicated to imparting a high quality of education but are also actively committed to furthering the development of the visual arts in Pakistan.

Building the next generation of educated artists, designers and theoreticians is fundamental to our mission. At this time of globalisation, there is a pronounced international interest in Pakistani art and we hope to be at the forefront of this development. Our first graduates have joined the wider art and design community, not only in Pakistan but in the U.K. and U.S. They have launched themselves into the industry or have been admitted to eminent postgraduate programmes abroad. We are confident they will make their way in the world as knowledgeable and competent professionals.